“I have a slow metabolism…” “I was always fat growing up…” “I can’t build muscle. My entire family is skinny…” “Diabetes runs in the family…” Any of these statements sound familiar? Do you ever sound like that when you’re defending your current state of fatness or laziness? Do you ever tell yourself these things in […]
Sets and Reps: Why Do Muscles Grow?
“How many sets of the bench press are optimal for chest development?” “How many reps should I do on my working sets?” “Light weights for the lean/ athletic look, heavy weights for the bodybuilder physique, right?” The first time I ever picked up a fitness magazine, I felt an instant rush going through my body. […]
Weight-Training Versus Calisthenics for Muscle and Strength
Like many of you, I grew up thinking lifting weights was a prerequisite for building muscle. In my mind, push-ups and pull-ups weren’t enough to stimulate muscle growth and would only benefit beginners until they were ready to work with weights. Turns out I was wrong. In my training programs, I put a heavy emphasis on […]
Lean and Mean Training: How to Build Big Arms
With all the contradicting information out there on strength training and muscular development, it’s no surprise people are confused about how they should or shouldn’t train. The Lean and Mean Training series gives you the muscle building blueprints you need to maximize results. The best exercises, the most effective rep ranges and the ultimate strategies […]
How Women Should Train for a Lean and Sexy Body
“Don’t lift weights! You’ll look like a man.” “Cardio is all you need to get in shape.” “Women need to train with high reps to tone the muscles.” If you could see my face hearing comments like that, it would look something like this: For years, female training has been marred by some of the […]